"The Republican establishment reasserted itself this week, and good thing, too, because the establishment was right. It said Republicans in the House should back and pass the Boehner bill on the debt ceiling because it goes in the right directions, contains spending cuts but not taxes, and is viable. So accept victory, avert crisis, and get it to the Senate.

The establishment was being conservative in the Burkean sense: acknowledges reality, respect it, and make the most progress possible within it. This has not always been true of them. They spent the first decade of this century backing things a truly conservative party would not have dreamed of—careless wars, huge spending and, most scandalously, a dreamy and unconservative assumption that it would all work out because life is sweet and the best thing always happens. They were mostly led by men and women who had never been foreclosed on and who assumed good luck, especially unearned good luck, would continue. They were fools, and they lost control of their party when the tea party rose up, rebuking and embarrassing them. Then the tea party saved them by not going third party in 2009-10. And now the establishment has come forward to save the tea party, by inching it away from the cliff and reminding it the true battles are in 2012, and after. Let's hope the tea party takes the opportunity."

So let me get this straight,,,,they, being the repubican establishment, is now telling those who got them the the majority that this is the best that can be done at the time and we should accept $9 TRILLION more in debt over the next 10 years,,,,if this is the case,,,,then hussein will win again because those that are CONSERVATIVE, will not support the RINO's again...

GD it all to Hell. If someone maxes out a credit card and has no way of ever getting out from under the debt because the interest on it is 60% of their gross income, you DO NOT give them a higher credit limit based on the same broken promises of repayment and financial responsibility. Even Barney Fag would not force the banks to make a loan to someone to buy a house with payments equaling 60% of their gross. And the Democraps say it's irresponsible not to extend the Govt. more credit lasting throught their next election. They claim we will lose our AAA credit rating. We don't deserve a triple A rating, but we're the ones making up the ratings, so go figure.

cn and digd - The tea party did not give the Republican a ruling majority. Sorry, that would have been nice, but it didn't happen. Republicans only have a majority in the House. Democrats still control the Senate (thank you faux tea party in DE and NV that gave the Senate to Harry Reid). Tea Party Congressmen, and the Republicans in Congress do not have the votes to do what they want to do now. Simple as that. They could have the votes to do something seriously good after the 2012 elections, if they don't go stupid now. So which is better?

Do a little now and wait until after the election? or

Pickle off their suicide bombs now and give up any chance of winning a majority in 2012? And face it, if they screw it up now, they won't win in 2012.

The government has been in debt since Andrew Jackson paid off the debt by stealing the Indian land and selling it off. Certainly we can survive another 15 months until the votes are there to actually do something.

Isn't it funny how liberals always try to convince conservatives to "do a little" or do nothing. They are so transparent. Hello liberals, real conservatives stand on principle while RINOs do nothing but talk.

Those truly promoting conservative principles would best serve them by a sane recognition of reality. Right-wing samurai are too near-sighted to think 15 months ahead. They think blowing themselves up now is a virtue.